Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate Research

Shawanna Meeks

Interior Design Major

Class of 2011

Research Title: “The Chair of A Silent Jazz Ensemble”

After studying well acknowledged artist and philosopher, Wassily Kandinsky, I became familiar with his ideals of the emotional and spiritual quality of color through its application in a two-dimensional art form, painting to a canvas. Kandinsky also examines the relationship between painting and music. He applied these theories using music by Arnold Schoenberg, an Austrian composer, creating Impression III (Concert). Combining this research with the ideals of other artists--musicians, painters, sculptors, and furniture designers--I have extended Kandinsky‟s philosophies into a three-dimensional composition, more specifically an original chair design. This research communicates an audible sensation through a visual and physical experience of nesting in a chair. Using two of my jazz influenced works, The Band (Sculpture) and Sounds of Music (Painting,) the design suggests that a musical experience can be found in shapes, lines, and colors. Using traditional materials such as wood and upholstery to represent the familiar, the piece, through their execution, will exemplify my hypothesis of music without sound. The semi-enclosed design embodies security, comfort, and solitude, much like the musical experience with headphones. Envisioned for a space that is not conducive for solitude, such as a residence hall room, the piece will provide a sense of mental freedom and personal space. As an interior designer, I realize people do not always have complete control over their environment; this chair design could provide a solution for privacy within a semi-public space.